ELND Chapter 58

Chapter 58

 Only Regret Deepens

It was about a week after I returned from Greyzone Village that a letter arrived from Mayor Devon.

“All the people in our village have agreed to work for the Half-Blood Demon Welfare Foundation.
If Your Highness’ intentions remain the same as before, we would be grateful if you would take us in.
— Mayor D., Greyzone”

I folded the letter again with a faint smile. Mina, unable to contain her curiosity any longer, asked urgently:

“What does it say? Are they agreeing?”

Her eyes shone with expectation as she asked.

I hesitated for a moment with a solemn expression, then suddenly nodded.

“Yes! Everyone wants to work at the Welfare Foundation!”

“R-Really?!”

Mina clapped her hands in delight, as if it were her own victory.

“Now the staff of the House of Light won’t dare complain behind Your Highness’ back! They’ve been so petty talking about the people of Greyzone Village all this time!”

Mina took a deep, satisfied breath, looking completely relieved.

I chuckled at her for a moment, but then quickly turned my attention to other documents on the table, pouting my lower lip.

These were administrative papers related to establishing the Welfare Foundation.

“Well, it’s good that the staff of the House of Light have changed their minds… but…”

When I checked the funds listed for the foundation’s establishment, a sigh escaped me.

‘The amount is much larger than I thought. Even if I sell all the special carriages I have as gifts, there won’t be much left. What should I do?’

As I wrestled with my stubborn thoughts, Adrian happened to enter the reception room.

“Your Highness, I heard you were looking for me.”

Since returning from his family home in the Demon Realm, Adrian had been looking increasingly haggard.

I looked at his face, weary as if he hadn’t slept a wink all night, and asked gently:

“Adrian, is your father’s condition very bad?”

Adrian nodded bitterly.

“Everyone is preparing themselves mentally. He has been bedridden for a long time.”

Then, as if trying to lighten the mood, he shook his head slightly.

“Your Highness, what do you need from me?”

Only then did I remember why I had called him.

I handed him the documents I was holding.

“I called because of this. It seems we can proceed with establishing the Welfare Foundation as planned.”

“Has Greyzone Village finally given their consent?”

“Yes. I just received a letter from Mayor Devon. Everyone wants to work at the Welfare Foundation.”

Adrian’s face lit up with a broad smile.

“That’s wonderful news. Truly fortunate, Your Highness.”

“Mm, yes. It’s great news, but…”

Adrian tilted his head curiously.

“Is something troubling you?”

“Yes.”

I nodded as if I had been waiting for the opportunity, and continued:

“After establishing the foundation, I don’t think I’ll have much of my personal wealth left. Isn’t there a good way around this?”

“You mean even if you sold all the special carriages you currently own?”

“…Yes.”

I replied gloomily, and Adrian frowned thoughtfully.

After a moment, as if coming to a decision, he spoke again:

“If that’s what concerns you… why not reinvest whatever remains into another set of gifts?”

“Reinvest?”

I blinked slowly.

‘Why didn’t I think of that? Even in the original story, Henry’s investment items kept coming up!’

As I remembered, the next investment scene showed that the items Henry purchased performed reasonably well.

However, the truly blockbuster item in that scene, and the person who chose it, was someone else.

‘Anton Baker.’

He would later be hailed as a genius investor in this world.

That first market where he made his mark…

I had to make the big success there in place of Anton.

‘But when was that exactly?’

While I racked my memory, Adrian quietly handed me an envelope.

“I actually came to deliver this. An official invitation from the royal family has arrived.”

“From the royal family?”

“Yes, an invitation to the Emperor’s birthday banquet.”

The Emperor’s birthday banquet…

As I considered Adrian’s words, memories from the original story flickered in my mind.

That was exactly when Anton Baker hit the jackpot in investments.

At that time, Henry was on his way to the capital to attend the Emperor’s birthday banquet.

‘Found it!’

Just as a small smile crept across my lips, Mina, who had gone out to respond to someone’s call, returned carrying a pile of boxes in her arms.

“Your Highness, look at this!”

Mina’s face was beaming with happiness.

“What is all this?”

I asked, bewildered. Mina set all the boxes down on the table at once, smiling brightly.

“All of these are gifts from the staff of the House of Light!”

Adrian and I exchanged a confused glance.

“The staff of the House of Light… sent these?”

Adrian, with a wary expression, asked.

He, too, seemed skeptical that the staff would be this favorable toward me.

Mina, as if anticipating their reaction, quickly opened one of the gift boxes.

“They’re from their hometown! Many of these are extremely hard to obtain, even in the Demon Realm, Your Highness!”

Adrian stepped forward to inspect the boxes.

“Ah, this is…”

“Hehe. Right, Adrian?”

“Yes. These are rare health foods, even in the Demon Realm, Your Highness.”

Adrian held the box up for me to see.

While I looked at the contents in disbelief, Mina continued unpacking.

“This is colored sugar, and this is Dallion, the most popular fruit in the Demon Realm…”

Mina twisted her body happily as she presented the gifts in a lively voice.

“Your Highness! The news from Greyzone Village must have reached the staff of the House of Light already! That’s why they’ve completely changed their attitude after seeing that Your Highness has changed!”

I looked at Adrian, still bewildered.

He smiled faintly.

“Mina is right. I had only heard rumors and didn’t fully believe them… but now it seems the staff of the House of Light truly have changed their hearts.”

I stepped closer to the table filled with the gifts, still in disbelief.

As Mina said, it was covered with rare presents and carefully written letters.

‘I never imagined the people of the House of Light would change this much because of Greyzone Village…’

As I read the letters slowly, Mina whispered softly to me:

“It’s really relieving! The staff of the House of Light never believed us before!”

Then she added quietly:

“But… it seems the staff of the House of Light have been having a hard time recently.”

“Why?”

I asked casually as I picked up the next letter.

Mina sighed lightly.

“Well… His Grace the Grand Duke has been in a low mood all this time.”

“Cedric? Why…?”

At the same time, in Cedric’s office:

The staff in his office hadn’t been able to breathe freely for the past week.

It was due to the dark aura emanating from Cedric.

And that remained true even now.

The hand of the maid placing a teacup before him trembled slightly.

“Y-Your Grace, this morning I prepared ginger tea…”

Cedric’s gaze, fixed on the documents, fell upon her trembling hand.

Then the surface of the tea rippled violently.

“Leave it.”

Cedric murmured sharply, staring at the cup.

The maid shrank back immediately, sensing the cold emanating from him.

Steam rose warmly from the teacup, but Cedric didn’t glance at it, continuing his work.

He couldn’t stop.

Even when he tried to look away from the documents—or even when staring at them—Rebecca’s presence kept clouding his thoughts.

‘I’m really sorry, Cedric! From start to finish, it was all a mistake!’

Cedric clenched his eyes shut.

‘A mistake? How can she call that night’s events a mistake?’

He had been certain Rebecca had wanted him desperately.

Yet it was all just a drunken mistake?

‘The alcohol is an excuse. Was that night unsatisfactory for her?’

Even the thought wounded his pride, but Cedric shook his head.

They had reached climax together multiple times that night.

If it wasn’t all an act, then Rebecca’s labeling the night as a “mistake” couldn’t be because she was dissatisfied.

The question remained unresolved, returning him to square one.

Why was Rebecca trying to push him away?

Loosening his tie, Cedric stood and walked to the window.

As always, his gaze drifted toward the House of Darkness.

The questions never ceased.

His brow furrowed.

‘She still hasn’t forgiven me.’

Cedric bit his lips anxiously.

Rebecca hadn’t forgiven him.

Once that thought surfaced, it completely consumed his mind.

‘Rebecca Twins. I hope she really means it when she says she wants a divorce.’

‘I will divorce you no matter what. Until then, I will never hold you in my arms.’

The past cruelty returned, and with it, only deeper regret.

Nothing could be undone.

‘Every time I rejected her, Rebecca must have felt like this too.’

The countless wounds Rebecca had endured returned like a boomerang, piercing Cedric’s heart.

His latent resentment toward her melted away once again.

‘Maybe she’s punishing me now. Maybe she’ll never open her heart again…’

Yet, even thinking this, he couldn’t bring himself to give up on Rebecca.

His obsession with keeping her by his side only grew stronger each day.

And the more he felt this way, the harder it became to confront her about why she refused him that night.

‘If she gets upset and leaves…’

Cedric immediately shook his head, imagining the worst-case scenario.

Then, as he turned his gaze again toward the House of Darkness, he saw Rebecca walking through the dark garden.

“…Rebecca.”

Cedric murmured her name, a soft curve forming at the corners of his lips.

“Y-Your Grace, where are you going…!”

It was around that time, as if drawn by a magnet, that she too instinctively stepped toward the Grand Duke.